The structure, function, and control of the RNA-polymerase genes of "wild-type" Bacillus subtilis will be compared to a series of mutant RNA-polymerase genes known to induce developmental and morphogenic abnormalities. Physical and genetic mapping, in vitro transcription, in vitro mutagenesis, and nucleotide sequencing of purified RNA-polymerase genes that have been cloned and amplified will provide additional information about the nature of the mutational phenotypes exhibited by the mutants. Control of the RNA polymerase synthesis will be studied in vivo, as well as in vitro, by following the kinetics of synthesis of the RNA polymerase subunits in radioactively labelled cultures from which partially purified enzyme is extracted. In addition, in vivo synthesis of different RNA species by conditional mutants will be followed by radioactive labelling and analysis by analytical gel electrophoresis, DNA-RNA hybridization and autoradiography. The correlation of the data obtained from the in vivo and in vitro experiments will allow a better understanding of the role of transcription in developmental and morphogenic processes. BIBLIOGRAPHIC REFERENCE: McParland, R.H., L.R. Brown and G. Pearson. 1976. Cleavage of lambda DNA by site-specific endonuclease from Serratia marcescens. J. Virol. 19. 1006-1011.